The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-09-17
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
IT ALWAYS PoURs.

IT ALWAYS PoURS.
The discovery of rare elements bids fair to be-
come as persistent fanaticism among chemists as
the finding of asteroids-whose number has been
increased from to nearly go during the present
century-is among astronomers. During the de-
cade ending with 1885 over forty discoveries of
new elementary substances were announced, while
the entire number previously known was less than
seventy. No less than nine were detected by
Crookes last year. The list is likely to be length
ened quite as materially in the current twelve
month, as A. Pringle already claims to have found
six new elements in siurian rocks in Scotland.
is substance resembling selenium, which the dis
coverer calls hesperisium One metal is like iron,
but does not give some of its reactions; another
resembles lead is quite fusible and volatile, and
forms yellow and green salts; another, named
erebodiun, is black the fourth is light gray
powder, and the last is dark in color.
CHAPTER FROM RELICS.
The prehistoric development of Northern Europe
is considered in a work by the late J. J. A. WOr-
saae an eminent Danish archueologist, under the
following phases, the approximate chronology
assigned being stated f: l. The early Stone Age,
at least 5000 B. c., when portions only of South
seem
The later Stone Age, about 1000 to 1000 B. c.,
contemporaneous with the Bronze Age on the
shores of the Mediterranean. 3. The early Bronze
Age about 1000 to 500 B. c., when Stone Age
existed to the North, and an Iron Age had already
come in to the South. 4. The late Bronze Age,
about 500 B. C. to the time of Christs birth, when
a pre-Roman Age of Iron was developed in Gen.
trail and Western Europe. 5. The early Iron Age,
from A. D. l to 450, when bronze was still in use
in parts of the Scandinavian peninsula 6. The
middle Age of Iron, about A. d. $50 to 700, when
foreign Romano Germaninfuence predominated.
Z. The later Iron Age, or Viking Period, about
A. D. 700 to 1000, when Stone Age still linger-
ed in the extreme north of Finland and Lapland.
MOORISH MEDICINE.
Progress in the treatment of disease is not
everywhere the modern order, the Moors, whose
medical practice is singular mixture of little
real skill with an astonishing amount of ignorant
superstition, seeming to be actually going back
ward. Says recent writer: "The Moorish
medicine man'-we can hardly call him Doctor
certainly displays some skill in COUGHING for cat
aract. He has also an original method of curing
irritation of the eyes due to the presence of foreign
bodies. With much skill hepasses his tongue over
the open eye of the patient, and thus, without ir
ritating removes the sand, grit etc. For cupping,
the Moor also makes good use of his mouth;
cows horn is placed over the part, and from hole
at the point Of the horn the operator sucks out the
treatment will, with equal confidence, prescribe
gold dust, or the scrapings from the horn of
rhinoceros, emmenagogue, and will give an
idle man ants to eat, or suggest that coward
should try and procure for his meal little lions
flesh" The fumes of burning animal bodies are
supposed to exert a strengthening influence. An
-effeetHal use is made of cauteriZaton; and an ex
cellent syrup for coughs and colds is prepared by
boiling figs, dates and raisins. Fractures
dressed with splinters and tow soaked in honey.
Disease is attributed to evil spirits and noises and
display of weapons are expected to brighten
them away. False teeth and other European in
novations are resented as an interference with
divine will.
A NEW EFFECT.
Chemical decomposition has been produced by
pressure in the experiments of two Belgian chem
lists. Under pressure of 5000 atmosphere, at
a temperature of 104 degrees, pulverized acetate
of copper and lime was slowly quefed, and ON
removal of the pressure the surface of the instru
ment in contact with the salt was found coated
with copper
MISCELLANEOUS.
sword handle has been constructed by
Leipsic professor on, it is claimed, anatomical
principles. The designer asserts that being plan
ned with reference to the hands mechanism it
can be held with absolute security.
The soil for house plants should receive atten-
ton, as medical men have found that maarial
containing pots of malarious earth.
Good carpets from common moss (Hypnum
vulgaris) are the production of French manu-
facturer.
The cause of grouse disease, which has proven
so destructive to British game, is to be investga
ted by Pasteur.
An nstsnss G sf n SGa ST STARS given % NJ
de Gothard. Comparison of recent photograph
with measures recorded by Vogel in 1867 SO ap-
pears to show that cluster 4. All G. c. contains
eleventh magnitude star which has changed its
position relatively to the other stars to the extent
of 2.3 seconds a. year.
The threatened extinction of edelweiss, and
other Alpine flowers, short time ago led to the
founding of gardens and enclosures for the cult
walton and protection Of these plants At one of
these mountain stations, at height of about 800
feet, plants of the Pyrenees, the Himalayas and
the Caucasus are cultivated, as well as those of
the Alps.
The glare of the electric lights in the Cars
Winter palace has proven very injurious to orna-
mental plants.